Our opportunity to salute the best programs and people working to enhance Jewish life in our community is through the many awards we grant each year. We are extremely proud of the recipients who receive these awards and the contributions they have made.

Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards

Based on the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (“repair of the world”), the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards seek to recognize teens who are exceptional role models in their communities and beyond.

Judith Chapman Memorial Women’s Leadership Award

The Judith Chapman Memorial Women’s Leadership fund was created as a permanent endowment fund in memory of Judith Chapman, an esteemed volunteer leader, friend and member of our Jewish community. Judith Chapman was a mentor for many and this fund honors and assists women who reflect and perpetuate Judith Chapman’s ideals, values and commitment.

This permanent fund of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund will be used to make grants towards Jewish projects at home and abroad that empowers women to achieve, and provides future leadership training programs.

The Fund honors a woman from the Federation’s service area who exemplifies significant and sustained volunteer leadership, and who values her Jewish identity and the importance of tzedakah in her life. Established in honor of Judith Chapman, the award is presented each year at the Women's Alliance Power of One event and acknowledged at the Federation’s annual meeting. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email rosalindfj@sfjcf.org.

Harvey Koch Leadership Award

The Harvey Koch Leadership Award was established in 1991 to honor Harvey Koch, a pioneer in helping to develop the local Federation community on the South Peninsula and the first president of the Federation’s South Peninsula Council. The award is presented to a South Peninsula leader who has made a significant and lasting contribution over many years to this community. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email SouthPen@sfjcf.org.

Jim Brooks Achievement Award

The Jim Brooks Achievement Award was established in 1995 to commemorate the memory of Jim Brooks, who dedicated himself to carrying on the work that his father-in-law, Harvey Koch, had begun many years before. Jim served with distinction as president of the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center. He was a long-time member of Congregation Beth Am and a friend to many in the community. The award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the South Peninsula community within a relatively short period of time, and who has shown potential for future leadership. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email SouthPen@sfjcf.org.

Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award

The annual Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award was inaugurated October 8, 1959 to honor an outstanding young leader in the local Jewish community. The award was established in memory of Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel, who served as the first president of the Jewish Community Federation as we know it today. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email phyllisc@sfjcf.org.

Israel in Our Hearts Community Awards

The Israel in our Hearts Community Award has been created to recognize members of the Bay Area Jewish community who have made an extraordinary commitment to Israel and for their efforts in strengthening Israel/Bay Area relations. Nominees must shown proven leadership in an initiative or program that has enhanced our community’s relationship with Israel. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email israelcenter@sfjcf.org.

Sinton Award for Distinguished Leader of the Year

This award is given in honor of volunteer leadership in the Jewish community, as exemplified by Robert Sinton, a businessman and community leader whose dedication to the Federation and many other Bay Area organizations spanned more than five decades. It embodies his concern for Jewish communal volunteer involvement and includes a financial stipend to a Jewish agency or organization chosen by the recipient. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email phyllisc@sfjcf.org.

Helen and Sanford Diller Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education

The Helen Diller Family Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education were established in January 2001 to recognize and honor educators in institutions offering pre-collegiate programs in Jewish education, who have made an extraordinary impact on the youth of our community. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email judyb@sfjcf.org.

Haas/Koshland Memorial Award grants year of study in Israel

Each year the Jewish Community Endowment Fund invites students to apply for the annual Haas/Koshland Memorial Award. The grant, which is given by the descendents of Walter A. Haas, Sr. and Daniel E. Koshland, Sr., funds a year of study and personal development in Israel. Past winners include Mia Bruch, Matthew Zoloth-Levy, Noach Dzmura and Dan Kaganovich.

For more information email lauram@sfjcf.org.

Anne and Robert Cowan Writers’ Fund

The Anne and Robert Cowan Writers’ Fund was established in 2004 by Robert Cowan to recognize and award writers who have made an exceptional impact in the Bay Area through their uniquely Jewish perspective. Awardees must be published Jewish writers who:

• Reside in the greater San Francisco Bay Area
• Are considered exceptionally gifted by their peers and readers
• Write with a high degree of creativity and intelligence
• Include positive Jewish themes in their subject matter
• Refer to Israel in a supportive and constructive manner

It is the intent of Mr. Cowan to reward the work of local writers who can benefit from both the publicity and award money without their being aware that they have been considered for the award. Therefore, there is no public nomination process. The 2005 award recipient was San Francisco Chronicle writer Jean Gonick, and the 2006 award went to fiction writer Julie Orringer. The most recent recipient is Leo Litwak.

Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award

The Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education are designed to recognize teachers in communities across North America who have made a commitment to the field of Jewish education. The Awards honor outstanding classroom-based teachers in formal Jewish educational settings (early childhood through grade 12). Awards Winners are chosen through their central agency for Jewish education or, where no central agency exists, through their federation. The Awards were first established by the Grinspoon Foundation in 2000 and joined by Jewish Life Network/Steinhardt Foundation in 2002. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email judyb@sfjcf.org.

Professional Advisor of the Year Award

Presented at JCEF’s annual Tax and Estate Planning Seminar, this award is bestowed on a tax and estate planning or financial professional who is regarded among the advisor’s peers for unparalleled commitment to clients, consummate leadership, and unselfish dedication of time and talent to the Jewish and general communities. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information email JenniferG@sfjcf.org.

Awards of Excellence

The Awards of Excellence salute the best people and programs working to enhance Jewish life in our community.

Volunteer of the Year

This award is given to a volunteer committed to Jewish values, whose contributions of time, creativity, energy and resources sustain and enrich the Jewish community. See all of our past award recipients.

Program of the Year

This award is given to a program that addresses a need of recognized importance and successfully maximizes community resources through the creative management of financial resources and interagency cooperation. See all of our past award recipients.

Agency Staff Member of the Year

This award is given to an exceptional staff member or executive of an agency or organization who strengthens the Jewish community. See all of our past award recipients.

Staff Member of the Year

The Jewish Community Federation values its staff. Therefore, we recognize one outstanding staff member who has been employed by the JCF for at least three years. This individual embodies the highest values and ethics of Judaism and makes contributions towards the enhancement and quality of Jewish life. See all of our past award recipients.

For more information on the Awards of Excellence call 415.512.6298 or email rosalindFJ@sfjcf.org.